


Healing

by Cake and Pi (Tarrin)



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Post-Endgame, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-12-03 05:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11525703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarrin/pseuds/Cake%20and%20Pi
Summary: The roadtrip is M’gann’s idea, to celebrate Artemis graduating college. Artemis doesn’t need to be psychic to know that isn’t the only reason.





	Healing

“We should celebrate your graduation.”

Artemis thinks about that one for a moment. “Didn’t we just celebrate?” The words are only a little bit slurred, and she mentally high-fives herself for the success.

“Yes, but  _we_  should celebrate.” That takes even longer to think about. By M’gann’s own words, they’re already celebrating, with Zee and Raquel. They’d gotten food and are back at her apartment for booze. She frowns and M’gann laughs, adding, “Just the two of us.” Fingers twine with hers and squeeze.

“Hm.” She thinks that makes sense, and Artemis gives up the fight to think and closes her eyes; she feels warm and safe and drunk and sleepy, with M'gann a comfortable presence next to her. “That’d be nice.”

—

Artemis leans back, one hand on the steering wheel, hair streaming out behind her. It’s grown out a little over the past year but nowhere near its former glory. She thinks she might cut it again though. Or maybe not. As much of a pain as her hair is when it’s long, she likes how it used to look. And M’gann likes it, likes to play with it, likes to try styling her hair in different ways after missions. It’s become part of their after-mission ritual, once they’re done writing reports and have seen to their injuries. Artemis will curl up on the couch in M’gann’s room at the Watchtower and read, or nap, while M’gann sits next to her and plays with her hair.

M’gann’s sitting next to her now, drowsing in the early afternoon warmth as Artemis drives. Artemis’s hand clasps hers loosely between the seats; sometimes when M’gann dreams, she’ll float in her sleep. Artemis doesn’t relish the idea of that happening in a car going seventy miles an hour.

A roadsign flashes past - twenty minutes to the rest stop and a chance to stretch her legs. Two, maybe three, more hours to the hotel.

The roadtrip is M’gann’s idea, to celebrate Artemis graduating college. Artemis doesn’t need to be psychic to know that isn’t the only reason. She might have been offended, except it’s difficult when M’gann’s being so enthusiastic about it. And if Artemis is being honest with herself, she needs a vacation. The past year has been… difficult, to say the least. M’gann’s insistence was all the excuse she needed to allow herself to accept.

And it’s been fun, more than she expected it to be. Despite having been on Earth over six years now, M’gann hasn’t experienced much of the planet; flying over towns and cities and fighting villains in them is a lot different than exploring them. A lot different than having time to go into stores to try and find the silliest souvenirs possible. And Artemis hasn’t traveled much herself, not in this carefree way, not without deadlines and targets and not being sure if she’s going to make it home that night.

She’s glad she didn’t refuse.

—

They reach the hotel just as the end of day traffic is ramping up. Artemis collapses face down onto the bed - queen sized and more comfortable than what she’s used to - and flaps her hand lazily when M’gann asks her about food.

“Anything’s good, as long as I don’t have to drive, Miss I Don’t Have A Driver’s License.”

“We could have taken the bioship, you know.”

“And thus defeating the ‘absolutely nothing we use on missions comes with us’ clause.”

She hears M’gann snort. “Well in that case,” the Martian says, “your clothes are going to have to go.”

Artemis rolls onto her side, propping her head up on a fist and fluttering her eyes at M’gann. “And just who’s going to keep me warm then?” She teases, grinning. M’gann glances over and bites her lip and a sudden bubble of nervousness rises in Artemis’s chest. She lifts her chin in challenge, though if it’s at herself it’s ineffective, and if it’s at M’gann, well. Well.

A weight settles beside her on the bed. “I could.” M’gann’s voice is soft, hesitant. A hand comes up and tucks Artemis’s hair behind her ear, trails a thumb across her cheek. “Do you want me to?”

Artemis glances over at the table a few feet from the bed; the restaurant brochures are scattered across the top. Her heart hammers in her chest and she can feel the slight warmth of M’gann’s fingers on her cheek.  _Do you want me to? I could._  Artemis remembers M’gann’s hand in hers earlier that day. All the times that M’gann’s hands have played with her hair.

They end up ordering delivery.

—

Artemis wakes to the sound of a running shower. She sits up groggily, pushing her hair out of her face - she really ought to start tying it back if she’s going to keep it long - and is almost out of bed when memories of last night flood in. Her face heats and she flops back down, pulling the covers over her head.

M'gann was a better kisser than she’d expected. They hadn’t done anything beyond kiss and hold each other last night. Her fingers brush over her lips, remembering. Comparing. M'gann’s kisses are different from Wally’s. At least, she thinks they are. Artemis wasn’t entirely sure she’s remembering right, so long after his ceasing.

She smiles wryly. She still remembers the way Wally would waggle his eyebrows when he was being disgustingly flirty. If he was here, if he knew about last night, he’d certainly be waggling them now.

Of course, if he was here then last night would never have happened.

She groans and rolls over and stuffs her face into a pillow. She’s not going to go over that again. Not right now, not when she had something happy and bright and good happen. She felt lighter than air last night, with M'gann’s fingers in her hair and gentle kisses pressed to her cheeks, her mouth, her nose and chin.

Fresh warmth gathers on her cheeks at the memory of how brightly M'gann had smiled when Artemis had returned that first, hesitant kiss. The softness of M'gann’s hair under her hands. The surprise of the dual feeling of M'gann’s fingers tracing the curve of her ear, of her ear under M'gann’s fingers. The laughter when they’d realized simultaneously M'gann had opened the mindlink out of habit.

A stray thought curls into the memories - does M'gann still want to touch her, want to kiss her, does she even want her at all, now that last night had passed? Her heart pounds; what should she do if the answer is ‘no’?

“Artemis?”

She jumps as the voice pulls her from her thoughts. She pulls down the covers just enough to see M'gann wrapped in nothing but a towel and then hastily pulls them back up. That glimpse did nothing to help her.

“You’re not regretting anything, are you? You feel… I don’t know, not exactly traught?” M'gann asks softly.

Artemis peeks out from under the covers again. The towel is hanging over the back of a chair, M'gann’s bio-clothes covering her. M'gann’s fingers are a knot of worry.

“No, I’m all right.” She feels something not so much unknot but go smooth in her, as if she’s been tensing a muscle but finally let it relax. A smile forms on her face as M'gann meets her eyes. “I’m all right.” She repeats, and she is, she is all right, and she misses Wally but she wants this too, and she holds her hand out, palm up. When M'gann slips a hand into her waiting one, Artemis tugs her down to sit on the bed beside her.

“Regret’s the last thing on my mind.” She squeezes M’gann’s hand gently. “I - I think I want more of last night. If that’s okay.”

M’gann ducks her head, cheeks flushing. “I’d like that. I just, I wasn’t sure, what last night was to you. If, if last night would be all you wanted. I know you still miss him, and if you don’t want anything more, I -” M’gann’s voice trails off as Artemis squeezes her hand again.

“I do miss Wally. I don’t know that I ever won’t miss him. That doesn’t mean I have to, to, to  _wallow_ in that forever.” Artemis sits up and pushes her hair out of her face with her free hand. “I liked last night. I’d like it again.”

M’gann’s cheeks are bright pink, a sharp contrast to her green skin. “Now?”

“Mm…” Artemis leans forward quickly and steals a brief kiss. “We should get breakfast first.”

—

Artemis had expected to return from the road trip with a lighter wallet. She hadn’t expected to return with a lighter heart and a girlfriend. It’s not fair to compare M’gann to Wally, M’gann deserves better than that, and Artemis doesn’t mean to but finds herself doing it anyway. M’gann’s hands are smaller and cooler compared to Wally’s, and her hair’s a different kind of red, and she’s shorter than Wally was. She’s far more likely to surprise her with food instead of surprising her with an empty fridge and a pouty, bashful look. M’gann cooks better too (Wally would  _try_ , and be very earnest with his efforts, but he was, on the whole, more interested in eating than cooking).

Valentine’s Day comes and it’s weird to not stock the fridge beyond bursting as a gift. And she’s embarrassed because she ought to be able to do better than a damn card, especially when M’gann’s made chocolate from scratch. It’s delicious, and Artemis hums in bliss as the first piece melts in her mouth. M’gann places a second piece to her lips; Artemis lets her push it into her mouth, nipping at M’gann’s fingertips when her hand doesn’t leave Artemis’s face. She bites the chocolate in surprise (she prefers to let it melt, it lasts longer that way) when M’gann places her hands on each side of Artemis’s face and kisses her.

“I liked the card,” M’gann murmurs before kissing her again, sliding her tongue against Artemis’s lips. Artemis huffs in response - she can’t really do much else between M’gann sitting on her lap and her mouth already occupied. Slowly she leans back, lying down on the couch, and pulls M’gann down on top of her.

“How much?” She asks when there’s a break in the kiss.

M’gann shows her.


End file.
